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KR-20260066637-A - Root canal cleaning apparatus and method of operation thereof

KR20260066637AKR 20260066637 AKR20260066637 AKR 20260066637AKR-20260066637-A

Abstract

A root canal cleaning device and a method of operating the same are disclosed. The disclosed root canal cleaning device includes: a vibrator that generates a first acoustic wave; a vibrating horn that amplifies the first acoustic wave generated from the vibrator; an acoustic resonator that resonates the first acoustic wave amplified from the vibrating horn and radiates a second acoustic wave in the direction of the root canal; and a liquid medium supply unit that includes an injector that injects a liquid medium that delivers at least one of the first acoustic wave and the second acoustic wave to the root canal and a first passage through which the liquid medium travels. By generating and collapsing vapor bubbles within the cleaning liquid inside the root canal or within the liquid medium delivered nearby together with the first acoustic wave or the second acoustic wave, the cleaning target inside the tooth, including the root canal, can be removed.

Inventors

  • 김원정
  • 서재덕
  • 박렬
  • 심웅찬

Assignees

  • 주식회사 엔덴틱스

Dates

Publication Date
20260512
Application Date
20251103
Priority Date
20241104

Claims (19)

  1. A vibrator that generates a first acoustic wave; A vibrating horn that amplifies the first acoustic wave generated from the above vibrator; and An acoustic resonator that resonates by the first acoustic wave amplified from the above-mentioned vibrating horn and radiates a second acoustic wave in the direction of the root canal; and It includes a liquid medium supply unit comprising an injection port for injecting a liquid medium that transmits at least one of the first acoustic wave and the second acoustic wave into a root canal, and a first passage through which the liquid medium travels. A root canal cleaning device that removes objects to be cleaned inside the tooth, including the root canal, by generating and collapsing vapor bubbles within the cleaning solution inside the root canal or the liquid medium delivered nearby together with the first acoustic wave or the second acoustic wave.
  2. In Article 1, The above-mentioned vibrating horn is, An input terminal receiving the first acoustic wave from the above vibrator; A vibration shaft extending perpendicularly to the cross-section of the input terminal to amplify the first acoustic wave; and A root canal cleaning device comprising an output end having a cross-section that is parallel or not parallel to the cross-section of the input end and emitting the amplified first acoustic wave into the first passage.
  3. In Article 2, A root canal cleaning device having a cross-section of the output end that is flat or curved.
  4. In Paragraph 3, If the cross-section of the output end is a plane that is not parallel to the cross-section of the input end, the cross-section of the output end includes a cross-section inclined with respect to the axis of the vibration axis, and The above output terminal is a root canal cleaning device that converts the propagation direction of the first acoustic wave into the direction of the root canal and emits it through the above inclined cross-section.
  5. In Article 4, A root canal cleaning device in which, when the cross-section of the output end has the inclined cross-section with respect to the axis of the vibration axis, the acoustic resonator is positioned opposite to the output end of the vibration horn to resonate the first acoustic wave incident from the vibration horn and generate the second acoustic wave.
  6. In Article 1, The above acoustic resonance part is a root canal cleaning device comprising an opening that allows the liquid medium moving through the passage formed between the acoustic resonance part and the vibration horn to flow out to the outside of the root canal cleaning device.
  7. In Article 6, A root canal cleaning device comprising: the above acoustic resonance part further including a protrusion connected to the opening to form a second passage so that the liquid medium is concentrated in the direction of the root canal.
  8. In Article 1, A root canal cleaning device in which the above-mentioned steam bubbles collapse inside or near the root canal to generate shock waves and micro-jet flow.
  9. In Article 1 It further includes a handpiece housing that accommodates at least one of the above vibrator and the above vibrating horn, and The above acoustic resonance part is a root canal cleaning device in which the outer circumference is fixed to the end of the handpiece housing.
  10. In Article 1, A root canal cleaning device comprising the first acoustic wave or the second acoustic wave having an ultrasonic frequency of 20 kHz or higher.
  11. In Article 1, A root canal cleaning device in which the natural resonance frequency of the above-mentioned vibrating horn and the above-mentioned acoustic resonance part is substantially the same.
  12. In Article 1, The above liquid medium is a degassed liquid, and the root canal cleaning device.
  13. A step of generating a first acoustic wave by applying electrical energy to a vibrator; A step of amplifying the first acoustic wave through a vibrating horn coupled to the output end of the vibrator; A step of transmitting the amplified first acoustic wave through a liquid medium to an acoustic resonator spaced apart from the output end of the vibration horn; A step of inducing resonance by the transmitted first acoustic wave in the acoustic resonance section to generate a second acoustic wave; A step of generating a vapor bubble in the liquid medium according to the pressure fluctuation of the second acoustic wave; and A method of operation of a root canal cleaning device comprising the step of cleaning the inside or near the root canal with shock waves and micro-jet flow generated by the collapse of the above-mentioned steam bubbles.
  14. In Article 13, A method of operating a root canal cleaning device further comprising the step of providing the liquid medium to a first passage formed between the outer wall of the vibrating horn and the inner wall of the handpiece housing and a second passage formed between the output end of the vibrating horn and the acoustic resonance part.
  15. In Article 13, The step of transmitting the amplified first acoustic wave through a liquid medium to an acoustic resonator spaced apart from the output end of the vibration horn is: A method of operating a root canal cleaning device comprising the step of converting the amplified first acoustic wave into the direction of the root canal through the output end of the above-mentioned vibrating horn.
  16. In Article 13, A method of operation of a root canal cleaning device in which the above acoustic resonance part is tuned to resonate at a frequency substantially identical to the natural resonance frequency of the above vibrating horn.
  17. In Article 13, The above method of operation of a root canal cleaning device in which the generation and collapse of the above vapor bubbles occur repeatedly within the above liquid medium.
  18. In Article 12, The step of cleaning the inside or near the root canal with shock waves and micro-jet flows generated by the collapse of the above-mentioned steam bubbles is, A method of operating a root canal cleaning device comprising the step of removing contaminants attached to the inner wall or inside of the root canal by means of the shock wave and micro-jet flow.
  19. In Article 28, A method of operating a root canal cleaning device further comprising the step of discharging the removed contaminants and biofilm together with the liquid medium to the outside of the root canal by utilizing acoustic flow induced by the collapse of the above vapor bubbles.

Description

Root canal cleaning apparatus and method of operation thereof The present invention relates to dental treatment technology, and more specifically, to a root canal cleaning device and a method of operating the same. A tooth is largely composed of the crown, which is exposed above the gums, and the root, which is located inside the gums; the pulp chamber is formed within the crown, and the root canal is formed within the root. The pulp chamber and the root canal form a continuous passageway through which nerves and blood vessels pass, and they are connected to the tissues surrounding the root apex through the apical foramen formed at the root apex. Meanwhile, if bacteria penetrate the root canal due to causes such as infection, tooth decay, or trauma, the pulp tissue becomes inflamed or necrotic, and in severe cases, a periapical abscess forms. In such cases, a root canal therapy procedure is required to remove the damaged pulp tissue, clean and disinfect the inside of the root canal, and then fill it. Root canal cleaning is a core step in the root canal therapy process, and it is necessary to completely remove contaminants remaining inside the root canal, such as necrotic tissue, bacteria, biofilm, and smear layers. Conventionally, to clean root canals, methods have been used in which a long, thin metal file or a polymer tip is directly inserted into the root canal to mechanically scrape it out, or in which ultrasonic vibrations are applied to generate flow in the cleaning solution. However, conventionally, since instruments such as the aforementioned file or tip must be inserted directly into the root canal, it is difficult for the instrument to reach all parts of the root canal, which is severely curved or has a complex shape, so complete cleaning may not be achieved. In addition, the tip must have a thin and curved shape to be applied in the narrow space of the oral cavity; however, this structure has physical limitations in delivering high-output ultrasonic energy, which may weaken the cleaning power. Furthermore, there is a risk of medical accidents due to instrument fracture during treatment. Recently, to overcome these limitations, a technology is being introduced that generates flow remotely for cleaning without directly inserting an instrument into the root canal. This technology uses ultrasonic or laser energy to induce acoustic cavitation in the cleaning solution inside the root canal, and achieves a cleaning effect through the mechanical action of the bubbles generated at that time. The bubbles generated in the aforementioned acoustic cavitation are broadly classified into two types. One is a dissolved gas bubble, formed when air dissolved in a liquid is released due to a drop in pressure, and the other is a vapor bubble, which occurs as the liquid boils due to instantaneous low pressure. Among these, dissolved gas bubbles can be easily generated even at relatively low acoustic pressures, making them suitable for use in cleaning methods utilizing conventional files or tips. However, because dissolved gas bubbles have a long lifespan, they can remain within narrow and long root canals, forming a film of bubbles that can cause a phenomenon called "vapor lock." This bubble lock causes a serious problem by interfering with the propagation of ultrasonic energy, preventing cleaning power from reaching deep into the root canal. In contrast, vapor bubbles are generated and dissipate very quickly, so they do not cause bubble lock; furthermore, upon collapse, they generate a high-speed micro-jet, resulting in significantly superior cleaning power. Therefore, for ideal root canal cleaning, it is essential to suppress the formation of dissolved gas bubbles and induce the formation of vapor bubbles. However, generating vapor bubbles requires ultrasound with very high acoustic pressure exceeding a specific threshold. As previously mentioned, conventional dental ultrasound devices, which are miniaturized and curved for intraoral application, have structural limitations in reliably generating and delivering such high-output ultrasound into the root canal. Therefore, there is a need to develop a new type of high-power ultrasonic root canal cleaning technology that can provide powerful cleaning power to the entire root canal without air bubble blockage, without directly inserting instruments into the root canal. FIGS. 1a and FIGS. 1b are diagrams showing the configuration of a root canal cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the basic pressure wave propagation characteristics of ultrasound according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 is a phase change graph illustrating the principle of vapor bubble formation according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating the dynamic behavior of a vapor bubble generated by ultrasound. FIG. 5a is a drawing for explaining the structural featur